# Netherlands men's Olympic water polo team records and statistics

This article lists various water polo records and statistics in relation to the Netherlands men's national water polo team at the Summer Olympics.
The Netherlands men's national water polo team has participated in 17 of 27 official men's water polo tournaments.

## Abbreviations

| Apps | Appearances | Rk | Rank | Ref | Reference | Cap No. | Water polo cap number |
| Pos | Playing position | FP | Field player | GK | Goalkeeper | ISHOF | International Swimming Hall of Fame |
| L/R | Handedness | L | Left-handed | R | Right-handed | Oly debut | Olympic debut in water polo |
| (C) | Captain | p. | page | pp. | pages | | |

## Team statistics
### Comprehensive results by tournament

Notes:
* Results of Olympic qualification tournaments are not included. Numbers refer to the final placing of each team at the respective Games.
* At the 1904 Summer Olympics, a water polo tournament was contested, but only American contestants participated. Currently the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Swimming Federation (FINA) consider water polo event as part of unofficial program in 1904.
* Last updated: 5 May 2021.

#### Legend

* 1 – Champions
* 2 – Runners-up
* 3 – Third place
* 4 – Fourth place
* — – The nation did not participate in the Games
* Q – Qualified for forthcoming tournament
* – Hosts
| Men's team | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 20 | 24 | 28 | 32 | 36 | 48 | 52 | 56 | 60 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 96 | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 16 | 20 | Years |
| Netherlands | | — | 4 | | 5 | 7 | 5 | | 5 | 3 | 5 | | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 6 | | 9 | 10 | 11 | | | | | | 17 |
| Total teams | 7 | | 4 | 6 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 5 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 10 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | |

### Number of appearances

Last updated: 5 May 2021.

#### Legend

* Year$^*$ – As host team
| Men's team | Apps | Record streak | Active streak | Debut | Most recent | Best finish | Confederation |
| Netherlands | 17 | 7 | 0 | 1908 | 2000 | Third place | Europe – LEN |

### Best finishes

Last updated: 5 May 2021.

#### Legend

* Year$^*$ – As host team
| Men's team | Best finish | Apps | Confederation |
| Netherlands | Third place (1948, 1976) | 17 | Europe – LEN |

### Finishes in the top four

Last updated: 5 May 2021.

#### Legend

* Year$^*$ – As host team
| Men's team | Total | Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Fourth place | First | Last |
| Netherlands | 3 | | | 2 (1948, 1976) | 1 (1908) | 1908 | 1976 |

### Medal table

Last updated: 5 May 2021.
| Men's team | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| Netherlands (NED) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |

## Player statistics
### Multiple appearances

The following table is pre-sorted by number of Olympic appearances (in descending order), year of the last Olympic appearance (in ascending order), year of the first Olympic appearance (in ascending order), date of birth (in ascending order), name of the player (in ascending order), respectively.
* Number of five-time Olympians: 0
* Number of four-time Olympians: 1
* Last updated: 27 July 2021.

#### Legend

* – Hosts
Male athletes who competed in water polo at four or more Olympics :
| Apps | Player | Birth | Pos | Water polo tournaments | Water polo tournaments | Water polo tournaments | Water polo tournaments | Water polo tournaments | Age of first/last | ISHOF member | Note | Ref |
| Apps | Player | Birth | Pos | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Age of first/last | ISHOF member | Note | Ref |
| 4 | Ton Buunk | 1952 | FP | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | | 19/31 | | Flag bearer for the Netherlands (1984) | |

### Multiple medalists

The following table is pre-sorted by total number of Olympic medals (in descending order), number of Olympic gold medals (in descending order), number of Olympic silver medals (in descending order), year of receiving the last Olympic medal (in ascending order), year of receiving the first Olympic medal (in ascending order), name of the player (in ascending order), respectively.
* Number of four-time Olympic medalists: 0
* Number of three-time Olympic medalists: 0
* Last updated: 1 May 2021.

### Top goalscorers

The following table is pre-sorted by number of total goals (in descending order), year of the last Olympic appearance (in ascending order), year of the first Olympic appearance (in ascending order), name of the player (in ascending order), respectively.
* Number of goalscorers (50+ goals): 0
* Number of goalscorers (40–49 goals): 2
* Number of goalscorers (30–39 goals): 1
* Last updated: 1 April 2021.
Male players with 30 or more goals at the Olympics :
| Rk | Player | Birth | L/R | Total goals | Water polo tournaments (goals) | Water polo tournaments (goals) | Water polo tournaments (goals) | Water polo tournaments (goals) | Water polo tournaments (goals) | Age of first/last | ISHOF member | Note | Ref |
| Rk | Player | Birth | L/R | Total goals | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Age of first/last | ISHOF member | Note | Ref |
| 1 | Nico van der Voet | 1944 | | 43 | 1964 (10) | 1968 (33) | | | | 20/24 | | | |
| 2 | Harry van der Meer | 1973 | Right | 40 | 1992 (8) | 1996 (16) | 2000 (16) | | | 18/26 | | | |
| 3 | Ruud van Feggelen | 1924 | | 32 | 1948 (16) | 1952 (16) | | | | 24/28 | | | |
Sources:
* Official Reports (PDF): 1908, 1920–1928, 1936–1952, 1960–1984, 1992–1996;
* Official Results Books (PDF): 2000 (pp. 58, 60–61, 79, 83–84, 89, 91).

### Goalkeepers

The following table is pre-sorted by edition of the Olympics (in ascending order), cap number or name of the goalkeeper (in ascending order), respectively.
Last updated: 1 April 2021.

#### Legend and abbreviation

* – Hosts
* Eff % – Save efficiency (Saves / Shots)
| Year | Cap No. | Goalkeeper | Birth | Age | ISHOF member | Note | Ref |
| 1908 | | Johan Rühl | 1885 | 23 | | The only goalkeeper in the squad | |
| 1920 | | Leen Hoogendijk | 1890 | 30 | | | |
| 1920 | | Karel Struijs | 1892 | 27 | | | |
| 1924 | | Karel Struijs (2) | 1892 | 31 | | Starting goalkeeper | |
| 1924 | | (Unknown) | | | | | |
| 1928 | | Abraham van Olst | 1897 | 30 | | Starting goalkeeper | |
| 1928 | | (Unknown) | | | | | |
| 1936 | | Herman Veenstra | 1911 | 24 | | | |
| 1936 | | Joop van Woerkom | 1912 | 24 | | | |
| 1948 | | Joop Rohner | 1927 | 21 | | | |
| 1948 | | Piet Salomons | 1924 | 24 | | | |
| 1952 | | Max van Gelder | 1924 | 27 | | Starting goalkeeper | |
| 1952 | | (Unknown) | | | | | |
| 1960 | | Henk Hermsen | 1937 | 23 | | | |
| 1960 | | Ben Kniest | 1927 | 33 | | | |
| 1964 | 1 | Henk Hermsen (2) | 1937 | 27 | | | |
| 1964 | 11 | Ben Kniest (2) | 1927 | 37 | | | |
| 1968 | 1 | Feike de Vries | 1943 | 25 | | | |
| 1968 | 11 | Evert Kroon | 1946 | 22 | | | |
| 1972 | 1 | Evert Kroon (2) | 1946 | 25 | | Starting goalkeeper | |
| 1972 | 11 | Wim van de Schilde | 1948 | 23 | | | |
| 1976 | 1 | Evert Kroon (3) | 1946 | 29 | | Starting goalkeeper Flag bearer for the Netherlands | |
| 1976 | 11 | Alex Boegschoten | 1956 | 20 | | | |
| 1980 | 1 | Wouly de Bie | 1958 | 22 | | | |
| 1980 | 11 | Ruud Misdorp | 1952 | 28 | | | |
| 1984 | 1 | Wouly de Bie (2) | 1958 | 26 | | | |
| 1984 | 13 | Ruud Misdorp (2) | 1952 | 32 | | | |
| 1992 | 1 | Arie van de Bunt | 1969 | 23 | | | |
| 1992 | 13 | Bert Brinkman | 1968 | 24 | | | |
| Year | Cap No. | Goalkeeper | Birth | Age | ISHOF member | Note | Ref |
| Year | Cap No. | Goalkeeper | Birth | Age | Saves | Shots | Eff % | Note |
| 1996 | 1 | Arie van de Bunt (2) | 1969 | 27 | 81 | 154 | 52.6% | Starting goalkeeper |
| 1996 | 11 | Wim Vermeulen | | | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 2000 | 1 | Arie van de Bunt (3) | 1969 | 31 | 65 | 140 | 46.4% | Starting goalkeeper |
| 2000 | 3 | Wim Vermeulen (2) | | | 0 | 0 | — | |
Sources:
* Official Reports (PDF): 1996 (pp. 57–61, 67–68);
* Official Results Books (PDF): 2000 (pp. 58, 60–61, 79, 83–84, 89, 91).

### Top sprinters

The following table is pre-sorted by number of total sprints won (in descending order), year of the last Olympic appearance (in ascending order), year of the first Olympic appearance (in ascending order), name of the sprinter (in ascending order), respectively.
* Number of sprinters (30+ sprints won, since 2000): 0
* Number of sprinters (20–29 sprints won, since 2000): 0
* Number of sprinters (10–19 sprints won, since 2000): 0
* Number of sprinters (5–9 sprints won, since 2000): 1
* Last updated: 15 May 2021.

#### Abbreviation

* Eff % – Efficiency (Sprints won / Sprints contested)
Male players with 5 or more sprints won at the Olympics (statistics since 2000) :
| Rk | Sprinter | Birth | Total sprints won | Total sprints contested | Eff % | Water polo tournaments (sprints won / contested) | Water polo tournaments (sprints won / contested) | Water polo tournaments (sprints won / contested) | Water polo tournaments (sprints won / contested) | Water polo tournaments (sprints won / contested) | Age of first/last | ISHOF member | Note | Ref |
| Rk | Sprinter | Birth | Total sprints won | Total sprints contested | Eff % | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Age of first/last | ISHOF member | Note | Ref |
| 1 | Bjørn Boom | 1975 | 6 | 10 | 60.0% | 2000 (6/10) | | | | | 24/24 | | | |
Source:
* Official Results Books (PDF): 2000 (pp. 58, 60–61, 79, 83–84, 89, 91).

## Coach statistics
### Medals as coach and player

The following table is pre-sorted by total number of Olympic medals (in descending order), number of Olympic gold medals (in descending order), number of Olympic silver medals (in descending order), year of winning the last Olympic medal (in ascending order), year of winning the first Olympic medal (in ascending order), name of the person (in ascending order), respectively. Last updated: 5 May 2021.
Ivo Trumbić won the silver medal in 1964 and Yugoslavia's first Olympic gold medal in water polo in 1968. He moved to the Netherlands in 1973, hired as the head coach of the Netherlands men's national water polo team. At the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, he led the Dutch team to win a bronze medal.

#### Legend

* Year$^*$ – As host team
| Rk | Person | Birth | Height | Player | Player | Player | Player | Head coach | Head coach | Head coach | Total medals | Total medals | Total medals | Total medals | Ref |
| Rk | Person | Birth | Height | Age | Men's team | Pos | Medal | Age | Men's team | Medal | G | S | B | T | Ref |
| 1 | Ivo Trumbić | 1935 | 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) | 29–33 | Yugoslavia | FP | 1964 , 1968 | 41 | Netherlands | 1976 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | [26] [27] |

## Water polo people at the opening and closing ceremonies
### Flag bearers

Some sportspeople were chosen to carry the national flag of their country at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games. As of the 2020 Summer Olympics, three male water polo players were given the honour to carry the flag for the Netherlands.
At the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Fred van Dorp became the first water polo player to be a flag bearer for the Netherlands at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics.
After winning bronze in the men's tournament, Evert Kroon, the starting goalkeeper of the Dutch water polo team, carried the national flag of the Netherlands at the closing ceremony of the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
Four-time Olympian Ton Buunk was the flag bearer for the Netherlands during the opening ceremony at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

#### Legend

* 2008 O – Opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics
* 2012 C – Closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics
* – Hosts
* Flag bearer$^‡$ – Flag bearer who won the tournament with his team
Water polo people who were flag bearers at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games :
| # | Year | Country | Flag bearer | Birth | Age | Height | Team | Pos | Water polo tournaments | Water polo tournaments | Water polo tournaments | Water polo tournaments | Water polo tournaments | Period (age of first/last) | Medals | Medals | Medals | Medals | Ref |
| # | Year | Country | Flag bearer | Birth | Age | Height | Team | Pos | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Period (age of first/last) | G | S | B | T | Ref |
| 1 | 1968 O | Netherlands | Fred van Dorp | 1938 | 30 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Netherlands | FP | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | | | 8 years (21/30) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 | 1968 C | Netherlands | Fred van Dorp | 1938 | 30 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Netherlands | FP | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | | | 8 years (21/30) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2 | 1976 C | Netherlands | Evert Kroon | 1946 | 29 | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) | Netherlands | GK | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | | | 8 years (22/29) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 3 | 1984 O | Netherlands | Ton Buunk | 1952 | 31 | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | Netherlands | FP | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | | 12 years (19/31) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |